Coal-chute.



V. ASHWORTH.

COAL GHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 191s,

Patented J an. 6, 1914.

WITNESSES TURNEV VINCENT ASI-IWORTI-I, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

COAL-CHUTE.

nosasso.

Application led July 7, 1913.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, VINCENT Asi-rwon'rii, a subject of the King of England, residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coal- Chutes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to pro-vide a chute for the discharge of coal from a wagon or other vehicle with a simple, inexpensive and durable cover for confining the coal and restraining the dust which is raised as the coal passes through the chute.

By my invention the ground between the vehicle and place of discharge of the chute is kept clear of scatterings of coal and coal dust and the drivers time need not be wasted in cleaning up after the coal is delivered.

In the accompanying drawing, fully illustrating the invention, Figure l is a 'perspective view of a chtite provided with my improved cover or covering; Fig. 2 shows said cover extended, detached from the chute; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the receiving end of the chute and of means preferably ernployed to keep the corresponding' end of the cover in bell-mouth form or flaring; Fig. I is an end elevation of what is shown in Fig. l, looking toward the receiving end of the chute, the chute appearing in section; and Fig. 5 shows in side elevation what is seen in Fig. 3.

rIhe chute a is of the usual construction, having a bottom and two sides and being open at the top.

The cover b consists of an elongated piece of flexible sheet material, preferably heavy duck, of generally tapering form, if, as is usual, the chute tapers, and provided with the straps c and d stitched or otherwise secured thereto and having buckles e, said straps projecting laterally at suitable inter vals from said piece b so that when the cover is laid over the chute with its wider end at the receiving or wider end of the chute they may be passed underneath said chute and buckled to secure the cover in place. The cover is somewhat wider than the chute so that when in position its lateral edges extend down the sides of the chute and somewhat under the saine. (Figs. l and 4). The end straps c are preferably unitary, or continuous from end to end, and are stitched along the ends of the cover so` as to form binding for its edges.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 6, 1914.

Serial No. 777,719.

When the cover is in position it will be seen that it closes the chute at the top and so confines the coal and the dust therefrom in its passage through the chute.

At the receiving end of the chute the cover is preferably given a bell-mouth or Haring form so as to facilit-ate the admission of the coal. To accomplish this said end of the cover is made of the necessary width (for instance, as illustrated in Fig. 2) and is kept in its open or extended form as follows: f is an arch consisting of two metallic strips f f overlapping each other and secured together by a screw g havinga wingnut 71. and fitted to strip f and penetrating a slot t' in strip f, the free ends of the strips being bent downwardly and then slightly inwardly, as at y', Fig 4; a flanged keeper-piece lo may be utilized to keep the strips alined. 7c designates clips or plates adapted to form clamps withV the downwardly bent ends of the strips f f, each being arranged at the inner side of the corresponding strip; each clamp is completed by the screw Z penetrating the clip and corresponding strip and provided with a wingnut m. Each clip has at its upper end a bent tongue n which is fitted to an eye n in the corresponding strip. The strips f f may have studs o to engage in eyelets 79 in the cover. Having fitted the arch to the chute as shown in Fig. it, where each clamp appears as gripping a side of the chute and the arch is steadied by the squared lower ends of its clips bearing against the floor of the chute while the inbent ends j of its strips take under the rebent fiange g of the chute, the widened end of the cover is strapped around the arch, being kept in place by the engagement of its studs with the eyelets 7). The slot z' in strip f permits the arch to be laterallyadjusted to suit chutes of different widths, as will be understood.

The cover being of flexible material it is obvious that when not in use it'may be folded and packed in small compass.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination, with a chute having a bottom and two sides and open at the top, a covering for the open top of the chute consisting of an elongated piece of sheet material stretched over the top of the chute and extending substantially from end to end thereof and having at each encf. unitary straps forming bindings for said ends of the covering and each having means to secure said strap in embracing relation to the chute, substantially as described.

2. In combination, with a chute having a bottom and two sides and open at the top, a covering for the open top of the chute consisting of an .elongated piece of sheet Ina-V terial stretched over the top of the chute and extending substantially from end to end thereof and having means to removably secure said covering to the chute, and a rigid arch removably secured to the chute and maintaining one end of said covering in belll5 mouth form, substantially as described.

3. In combination7 with a chute having a bottom and two sides and open at thek top, a covering for the open top of the chute consisting of an elongated piece of sheet material stretched over the top of the chute and extending substantially from end to end thereof and having means to removablys ecure said covering to the chute, and a rigid arch having clamps each gripping a side of the chute, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I'afiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VINCENT ASHWORTH.

' Witnesses:

JOHN W. STEWARD, WVM. D. BELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

